The present invention relates generally to ring casings for watches, and more particularly to a casing ring adapted to encircle a watch movement which is to be fitted into a case, the ring serving to reconcile the dimensions of the movement to those of the case.
In the mass-production of watches, it is not practical to provide movements and cases therefor having matching diameters. Thus it may be necessary with a watch movement of a given external diameter, to fit this movement into a case having a larger internal diameter. Or the same movement may have to be fitted into a family of cases having different internal diameters, all of which are greater than the external diameter of the movement. In other instances, it may be necessary to fit movements of different external diameter in cases all having the same internal diameter.
In order to reconcile the difference between the external diameter of the movement and the internal diameter of the case in which it is to be installed, it is known to provide a casing or magnifying ring which encircles the movement and imparts to the movement an effective external diameter which substantially matches the internal diameter of the related case.
Such casing rings are useful; for they serve to simplify manufacturing procedures and make it unnecessary to maintain a large inventory of matching movements and watch cases. The configuration of such casing rings must also take into account that the movements and the watch cases are not all in circular form; for in many instances, they have oval or other shapes.
The difficulty encountered with existing types of casing rings is that many watch cases incorporate push buttons and other types of driving or adjustment means which function as actuating members that cooperate with mechanical stop devices, electrical switches, or other operating elements included in the movement.
For example, with a watch case provided with one or more push buttons, in order to operatively link the push button or other actuating member to the operating element in the watch to transmit the motion of the actuating member thereto, it is necessary with existing types of casing rings to provide the button with a push pin of an appropriate length sufficient to pass through the casing ring and engage the operating element. Not only does this requirement complicate manufacturing procedures and add to the cost of production, but it is particularly disadvantageous in those watch movement structures which have projecting dials that can only be fitted into cases by means of special expedients.
It is also known with existing types of casing rings to transmit the motion of the actuating member or push pin mounted in the case to the related operating element in the movement by means of an auxiliary sliding pin which is not secured to the push pin. This approach brings into play other technical problems, and it is not economical; for then it becomes necessary to provide an inventory of auxiliary slide pins of different lengths.